Ceton InfiniTV 6 Discussion

[Shackleford]

There is a benefit to having an installer come out. They can bring several cable cards and can get straight to tier 2 techs if there are problems.

[Otter351]

I tried to get a self install, they said it wasn't available in my area. On top of that, there is a $60 fee for them to come out. This was over the phone so maybe I'll go into the local service center in person and see what they have to say

[foxwood]

I tried to get a self install, they said it wasn't available in my area. On top of that, there is a $60 fee for them to come out. This was over the phone so maybe I'll go into the local service center in person and see what they have to say

All cable companies are legally required to offer self install of cable cards, if they allow self install of the cable companies own DVR.

Open a ticket with Ceton support with the details. They have the contacts with the cable companies to sort out this BS.

[mcewinter]

Comcast Chicago offers self install though you are required to go the office to pick it up yourself, they will not send a CC out. Heading to the office may be the right idea.

[werds]

I tried to get a self install, they said it wasn't available in my area. On top of that, there is a $60 fee for them to come out. This was over the phone so maybe I'll go into the local service center in person and see what they have to say

This might be your best route. Just go to the local service center and ask for a Cable Card. Nothing more nothing less. You shouldn't need to provide them further info. You could return your set top boxes if you like during this trip but I suggest you hold on to the set top boxes UNTIL you are certain you have your Cable Card properly functioning at home.

[erkotz]

I tried to get a self install, they said it wasn't available in my area. On top of that, there is a $60 fee for them to come out. This was over the phone so maybe I'll go into the local service center in person and see what they have to say

All cable operators in the US are required to allow self-install of CableCARDs. If yours is refusing, please open a support ticket with us and we will get the clue stick for them.

[ToddD]

So I got my tuner yesterday and started the journey to get my card paired with the cable provider (Brighthouse). It took around 20 hours and a high degree of luck but it is done. Now on to fix the residual problems:

First the Card says in Diags that it has a channel map of 218 channels - The TA says it has 646. I see from time to time channels that can not be tuned and return SDV Error 1.

Second I have a situation where you tune a channel and it stays black for several seconds, then Media Center puts up the Subscription required error. It you look at the web GUI it will show Copy Protection as "None" ( it should be Copy Control Information: "One Copy" (0x02)) You can tune another channel and it will work. You can then go back to the one that you were unable to tune and this time it will work.

Any Idea where to start?

[JohnW248]

So I got my tuner yesterday and started the journey to get my card paired with the cable provider (Brighthouse). It took around 20 hours and a high degree of luck but it is done. Now on to fix the residual problems:

First the Card says in Diags that it has a channel map of 218 channels - The TA says it has 646. I see from time to time channels that can not be tuned and return SDV Error 1.

Second I have a situation where you tune a channel and it stays black for several seconds, then Media Center puts up the Subscription required error. It you look at the web GUI it will show Copy Protection as "None" ( it should be Copy Control Information: "One Copy" (0x02)) You can tune another channel and it will work. You can then go back to the one that you were unable to tune and this time it will work.

Any Idea where to start?

the channel map on the cableCARD and the TA number difference is normal.

Are you on a moto or a Cisco system? It sounds like you should start with the TA. BTW how is it connected? Did you run the incoming coax to a two way splitter and then a line each to the TA and the Tuner? That usually is best since the moto ta has a 6dBmV loss on its output if you use the loop through. The Cisco doesn't but it's still cleaner to have the signal split ahead. Not knowing if you have a cisco or moto ta, can't really point you where to check---but that's where I'd start. There is a fix for some ta issues on moto systems that was released in the last beta fw for the tuner. If you didn't update to the latest beta, that might be something you would want to explore.

[erkotz]

So I got my tuner yesterday and started the journey to get my card paired with the cable provider (Brighthouse). It took around 20 hours and a high degree of luck but it is done. Now on to fix the residual problems:

First the Card says in Diags that it has a channel map of 218 channels - The TA says it has 646. I see from time to time channels that can not be tuned and return SDV Error 1.

Second I have a situation where you tune a channel and it stays black for several seconds, then Media Center puts up the Subscription required error. It you look at the web GUI it will show Copy Protection as "None" ( it should be Copy Control Information: "One Copy" (0x02)) You can tune another channel and it will work. You can then go back to the one that you were unable to tune and this time it will work.

Any Idea where to start?

At this point, I would recommend you open a support ticket. My guess is your TA is not properly provisioned, but without seeing the data I can't say that for certain

[ToddD]

So I got my tuner yesterday and started the journey to get my card paired with the cable provider (Brighthouse). It took around 20 hours and a high degree of luck but it is done. Now on to fix the residual problems:

First the Card says in Diags that it has a channel map of 218 channels - The TA says it has 646. I see from time to time channels that can not be tuned and return SDV Error 1.

Second I have a situation where you tune a channel and it stays black for several seconds, then Media Center puts up the Subscription required error. It you look at the web GUI it will show Copy Protection as "None" ( it should be Copy Control Information: "One Copy" (0x02)) You can tune another channel and it will work. You can then go back to the one that you were unable to tune and this time it will work.

Any Idea where to start?

the channel map on the cableCARD and the TA number difference is normal.

Are you on a moto or a Cisco system? It sounds like you should start with the TA. BTW how is it connected? Did you run the incoming coax to a two way splitter and then a line each to the TA and the Tuner? That usually is best since the moto ta has a 6dBmV loss on its output if you use the loop through. The Cisco doesn't but it's still cleaner to have the signal split ahead. Not knowing if you have a cisco or moto ta, can't really point you where to check---but that's where I'd start. There is a fix for some ta issues on moto systems that was released in the last beta fw for the tuner. If you didn't update to the latest beta, that might be something you would want to explore.

I'm on a Cisco system. At this point I have the tuner looped behind the TA because I found my signal levels were higher due to the built in amp. I am running the latest beta.

[ToddD]

So I got my tuner yesterday and started the journey to get my card paired with the cable provider (Brighthouse). It took around 20 hours and a high degree of luck but it is done. Now on to fix the residual problems:

First the Card says in Diags that it has a channel map of 218 channels - The TA says it has 646. I see from time to time channels that can not be tuned and return SDV Error 1.

Second I have a situation where you tune a channel and it stays black for several seconds, then Media Center puts up the Subscription required error. It you look at the web GUI it will show Copy Protection as "None" ( it should be Copy Control Information: "One Copy" (0x02)) You can tune another channel and it will work. You can then go back to the one that you were unable to tune and this time it will work.

Any Idea where to start?

At this point, I would recommend you open a support ticket. My guess is your TA is not properly provisioned, but without seeing the data I can't say that for certain

I'll open a support ticket : it's WJJ-329-69572


New Info: I found a thread posted today on Broadband reports in the Brighthouse forum with the following text:
CFL] Subscription required recurring problem
I've been having a recurring problem with my Ceton/Media Center setup over the past couple of months. It seems every couple of weeks, we'll lose access to all of our upper tier channels, and Media Center will give us the "subscription required" error. This can only be rectified by calling BHN support and having them do something mysterious in the back end system that restores our access to those channels. We've been through this process three or four times now. Ceton's diagnostics tell me everything is working, so I'm not sure if it's us or BHN. Any other Ceton/Silicon Dust/Hauppague cablecard tuner owners out there having similar problems?

So this is happening to other Brighthouse customers as well. The Customer that posted this info and I have both reached out to the Special support rep for Brighthouse that is assigned to assist Brighthouse customers in that forum. I'm going to give him some time to see what he can come up with, but if he does not have success I'll take Ceton support up on their offer to get into it.

[JohnW248]

I'm on a Cisco system. At this point I have the tuner looped behind the TA because I found my signal levels were higher due to the built in amp. I am running the latest beta.

From the Ceton Web Gui for your device you can click on the Tuning Resolver tab and midway down the page there is a link to the TA Diagnostic Map. Open that in a new browser window and you'll see:

DIAGNOSTICS NAVIGATION MAP
Status Summary
POST and Boot Results
Versions and MACs
Network and Tuning Status
RF Statistics
PowerKEY Information
QPSK SIL Information
Bootloader Information
SAM Information
SARA Information
Component Information
SAM EDCT Information
SWITCHED DIGITAL VIDEO
SDV MINI CAROUSEL
SDV SESSION INFO A
NextPage
SDV SESSION INFO B
SDV SESSION INFO C
Tuning Resolver
UDCP
Serial Link Protocol
Serial Link Anomalies
Previous
From these links you can find out everything about your TA.
If you have signal issues for example, you can look at the RF Statistics

CURRENT FDC
Freq: 74.500 MHz
DAVIC: Connected --->>must be connected and not B'cst Only
Status: Locked
Level: 1 dBmV
Seconds: 674635
Corr Bytes: 52
Uncor Blks: 167
Errs Avg/Inst: 0 / 0
Total Bytes: 3222548008
S/N: 31 dB
CURRENT QAM
Freq: 585.000 MHz
Tuning Mode: QAM-256
Status: Locked
Level: 7 dBmV
S/N: 39 dB
Seconds: 207427
Corr Bytes: 0
Uncor Blks: 0
Errs Avg/Inst: 0 / 0
EQ Gain: 1.0
CURRENT RDC --->>this refers to your upstream connection to the cable company, both the node and thru the node to the headend
Freq: 15.000 MHz
Power: 38 dBmV
Delay: 638 uSec
Retrans: 0 ----->>>errors here will indicated tuning trouble since the TA has to keep resending before getting a response


There is other information in other tabs but you need to be connected, etc. and this will get you started. You can leave the page open in a browser and refresh it especially if you have trouble and see what it says then....print out a copy when its working so you know what those numbers look like. It'll help a tech that understands the system what to look for when there is trouble. You should not lose upper channels unless there is a signal problem with the control network (the conditional access stream, carrier loss of the control signal, etc)

[barnabas1969]

Could you add your cable system and type of headend? (Moto or Cisco)
never mind, I found your earlier post (#421) and you're on a MOTO headend so it was an issue with the Moto TA, your cable system SDV channel map and the new Ceton device.

A good heads up for others having TA issues on Moto headends.

If his InfiniTV4 worked with his "larger than average channel map", then wouldn't you think that the ITV6 would allow for a channel map the same size as the ITV4 did?

True, unless it was actually something with the Moto TA service in the new Ethernet tuner. Remember those services were on the host computer for all the previous Ceton devices and this is the first time they've parked them on the device like SD does for the Prime....just a maybe the service needed a tweak for a larger map. Remember it's a new file.

Yes, I understand that the TA drivers and firmware moved to the ETH. However, if their Windows drivers allowed for a channel map of size X, then wouldn't you think they would have made the new firmware allow for the same size channel map?

[JohnW248]

Yes, I understand that the TA drivers and firmware moved to the ETH. However, if their Windows drivers allowed for a channel map of size X, then wouldn't you think they would have made the new firmware allow for the same size channel map?

Logical point, IF that was what the problem was. It very well could have been something left out or truncated when the Moto TA service was compiled...you never know what the "undocumented" fixes are. For example, no one can tell me what the fixes were to the last Cisco cableCARD FW upgrade. Someone knows, but no one I know at TW knows or can find out. The only thing I do know is the problem I reported and we've documented wasn't fixed (it's been over a year).

[miles267]

Cox here won't give you a cable card on walk in. Requires a service appointment.

Side note - aside from the operating temp of the InfiniTV 6 ETH, an improvement over the InfiniTV 4 PCIe. Haven't had a single one of those 'cant find tuner' msgs that plagued the PCIe version on PC wake.

[richard1980]

Cox here won't give you a cable card on walk in. Requires a service appointment.

They are required by FCC rules to allow you to do a self-install. Bring this to their attention, and if they still refuse to allow you to do a self-install, notify Ceton.

Provide the means to allow subscribers to self-install the CableCARD in a CableCARD-reliant device purchased at retail and inform a subscriber of this option when the subscriber requests a CableCARD. This requirement shall be effective August 1, 2011, if the MVPD allows its subscribers to self-install any cable modems or operator-leased set-top boxes and November 1, 2011 if the MVPD does not allow its subscribers to self-install any cable modems or operator-leased set-top boxes;

[JohnW248]

Cox here won't give you a cable card on walk in. Requires a service appointment.

You could either file a complaint with the FCC or you could file a ticket with Ceton and their MSO department will send your local cable office (probably via their corporate legal office) a reminder of the FCC requirement.

The later is probably a better way to handle it.

[adam1991]

Do it both ways. Let the FCC know that Cox made you jump through hoops to get what the FCC has mandated.

So once Ceton has nudged them on a somewhat local and non-official level, and you get your card, then the FCC will notify their legal division about this breach--and their legal division will correct this corporate-wide.

If you don't use the tools needed (and available to you) to keep them in line, they will continue to cross the line and screw you at every turn.

[SoundForSound]

Had my first failure on the new Ceton6 ETH after about two weeks of uptime. Media center failed to tune (no signal) when the wife went to watch TV. Just power cycling the Ceton ETH made no difference, but a subsequent power cycle of the PC brought it back.

Is there a way to just "reset" the media center portion w/out rebooting? I'd like to be able to get back from the no signal citation w/out a PC reboot.

[ToddD]

Had my first failure on the new Ceton6 ETH after about two weeks of uptime. Media center failed to tune (no signal) when the wife went to watch TV. Just power cycling the Ceton ETH made no difference, but a subsequent power cycle of the PC brought it back.

Is there a way to just "reset" the media center portion w/out rebooting? I'd like to be able to get back from the no signal citation w/out a PC reboot.

There are a number of Media Center Services that you could start and stop, but the thing you need most after a tuner reboot is to restart WMDRM and so to get everything to restart in the right order, I'd just restart the PC.